"This is my first time submitting to OC ReMix, so I'm hoping to get some good feedback to improve on my works. I have arranged the song "Servants of the Mountain" (or "People of the North") from Final Fantasy X, under the original title of "Those Who Seek the End." I wanted to do some kind of winter cover, so how could I resist not going and doing this song? As some of you may know, Final Fantasy X is one of my top 5 fav games of all time, and the soundtrack IS my favorite soundtrack ever. So any track from this game is pretty much up for covering.

However, for this track I didn't really want to full-on "metal" it up. My mix of this song is made to feel very open, a lot of emphasis on atmosphere and feel, rather than technical skill or prowess. I felt that this song required some more ambience, and so I did just that. So I hope the judges enjoy!"

Really cool work from Brandon, here; not quite post-rock, but with a lot of the minimalism & distant processing associated with that style, which suits this icy source quite well. I love the blend of plucked patterns with long, sustained tones, and the held bends @ 2'42" are spot-on perfect. Just a bunch of good ideas; the artist knows when to dial it back and make some room, when to heat things up, and how to transition & fill the space in between, and the amount of sonic territory covered by electric guitar, in all its incarnations, is wonderful. Judges were unanimous, but I think Emunator's decision summed things up best:

"Very brooding and emotionally compelling. The melancholy guitar work reminds me of what Nekofrog would make if he placed a heavier emphasis on percussion in his tracks. Though I found it strange to start off with the drums at such a high intensity, the arrangement quickly settled in and just kept getting better from there. When the heavy guitars and a more dominant lead finally entered around 2:40, I was hooked, and you completely won me over at 3:45 with the low-tuned rhythm guitars. Seriously badass. The last few minutes of this track were incredibly gratifying and, on a personal level, this has to be one of my favorite metal arrangements that I've heard in a long time."

I wasn't even thinking of this as "metal" per se, but I think it resonated with me the same way it resonated with Wes - great stuff, very effectively structured and spaced, with precise attention to texture & articulation. Fantastic debut, highly recommended - definitely hoping to hear more from SixteenInMono, and from the other two artists featured in this three-mix flood of newcomers as well - congrats to all!

Fantastic mood and mood-supporting and -building structure in
this arrangement. Really liking the combination of sounds. But oh
man, the tuning of that guitar in the A-part of the piece, it's
seriously making it hard for me to fully appreciate this tune. I
get band rehearsal flashbacks. Rest of the thing sounds so pro. I
think I'll live though. Good work looking forward for more!

This is fantastic. I've always loved this song so much, and what
you do at 1:14 is just. Guhhh. That whole part. Exactly as
beautiful and badass and serious and--meditating on that
repetition!--as it should be! So so good.

There's no way this is a debut mix - not one with such an
emphasis on touch and feel! I can't believe it!

First off, it's immediately obvious of the knowledge and respect
for the source the remixer has - this take has care and touch
woven all through it. I'll argue with djpretzel (and on the side
of Enumerator) and say that this is absolutely metal;
you don't need to melt the listener's ears off to be metal, and
indeed, the beautiful handling of the back half of the remix is a
resonant, nearly spiritual arrangement, one that I envision fits
with a truly special ceremony performed once a year atop the
mountain. Deeply powerful and evocative, but in a unique style
and handled with a grace beyond the stated experience. Major
props!

Back then I was using a Frankenstein kit of various samples from
Superior Drummer 2, more specifically, Cymbals from Metal
Foundry, Snare and kick from Metal Machine, and toms and extra
snare from the stock Avatar kit.

Servants of the Mountain is one of my favorite songs ever so I
was thrilled to hear such a unique and beautiful take on it. You
kept the original feeling while adding a new one of your own. I
can't wait to hear what you make in the future.

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